He does not roar. A roar would kill the fragile creature instantly.
Instead, he uses his voice with terrifying precision. He drops the pitch incredibly low. He emits a concentrated, heavy hum.
The acoustic vibration hits the ocean floor like a physical wave. The loose sand shakes violently. The rock walls tremble.
The Ghost Ray panics.
The sand erupts.
The creature explodes from its hiding place. It is an elegant beast, its pale wings spanning wider than my entire body. It beats its cartilaginous wings, shooting upward into the open water to escape the agonizing vibration.
It is incredibly fast.
But I’m faster.
I dart forward, a blur of crimson in the dark water. I intercept the ray mid-flight.
I collide with the ray. I pin its left wing firmly against the sheer rock wall with my hands. The creature thrashes, whipping its long, whip-like tail in a frantic arc, desperate to drive its venomous barb into my tail.
I anticipate the strike.
I twist my body, dodging the lethal barb by a fraction of an inch. The sharp spine grazes the water.
Before the ray can retract its tail for a second strike, I grab the base of the whip with my free hand. I lock my grip tight, immobilizing the weapon.
I pull a hollow bone needle and a small leather flask from my belt. I pull the cork free with my teeth.
The ray struggles against the rock, but my grip holds firm. I work with practiced speed. I guide the hollow bone needle over the tip of the sharp barb. I press the sides of the venom gland. A milky fluid flows through the bone needle and drips safely into the leather flask.
Three heavy drops collect. It is more than enough for Mira's alchemical brew.
I cap the flask and secure it to my belt.
"Hold," I call out to Kael.
Kael cuts the heavy vibration. The water falls silent.
I release my grip on the creature's wing and tail simultaneously. I push backward, creating immediate distance between us.
The Ghost Ray does not retaliate. It recognizes the threat is gone. It beats its pale wings and darts down the dark corridor of the ravine, vanishing into the shadows unharmed.
I float in the cold water. My chest heaves. The pure adrenaline of the hunt races through my veins.
It was a flawless execution. A perfect, synchronized dance of power and precision.
Kael swims up to me. His dark eyes burn with a wild, primal heat. He loves the hunt. He loves watching me.
He doesn’t speak. He grabs my waist with both hands and pulls me flush against his solid body.
He kisses me.
It’s a breathless, adrenaline-fueled collision heat in the open water. I wrap my arms tight around his neck, kissing him back.
We are a perfect team. The shark provides the overwhelming power. The betta provides the precise strike. Together, we are an unstoppable force in the deep.
I break the kiss, gasping for breath against his lips.
"We have the glass," I whisper, my forehead resting against his. "We have the venom."
